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I’m going to go right back to the start of it all, my first true memory of heart breaking, searing loss and pain. A loss so great that it moved me to tears (although admittedly it was very easy to bring me to tears or even rage in my formative years. To this day I still bristle at the lines ‘Herod’s curious, Herod’s furious, and he doesnt want to hear about Jesus.’ Damn nativity!)

Anyway, for those of you reading who were both children of the 90’s and reside in the UK, you may remember a Saturday morning kids’ show called SM:TV live. Starring Ant and Dec (post PJ and Duncan years yet pre- media darling/nations favourites years.) Now this show (later replaced by Tim Lovejoy-era Soccer AM in my Saturday morning affections) was just something wonderful. A show which combined regular features such as Wonky Donkey, Postbag and Challenge Ant with sketch shows, the two which most prominently stick out were C.H.U.M.S (no prizes for guessing what that was a spoof of) and Anty & Decky the garden Goblins. I remember the days of singing along to the Carpenters’ Mr Postman during the postbag segment, as well as the days of chanting ‘You’re Thick’ whenever Ant was beaten at Challenge Ant. I also remember once SM:tv live would finish and CD:UK would be ushered in, hosted by the same trio (Ant, Dec and Cat Deeley.) Ah yes, those were the years my friends, when Saturday morning television was at it’s best (or the 6-11 year old me was a considerably less discerning viewer, I can never tell…)

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and in 2003 (when I was 10 or 11) SM:TV live performed its last sketch. The goodbyes were said, the inevitable video montage was played, the sad music faded out into the SM:TV live abyss. The credits rolled, as did the tears down my 11 year old cheeks. Although that could also have been because it had dawned on me that the only alternative I had was watching Dick and Dom, a grim prospect indeed!

But yeah, SM:TV live was my first experience of loss, unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the last either…